In the hushed tones of Islington's gorgeous Union Chapel, Why? are almost the last band you'd expect to see take to the stage, if, y'know, everyone present hadn't bought tickets to see them. The sonic reverberations that partly made their last three records are replaced for an acoustic band set up; no false advertising in this tour title. A set heavy on new material also doesn't feel quite right when their other main strength is the poignancy of their incredible one-liners after repeated listens. And when some of those past incredible one-liners include unambiguous metaphor for oral sex and problems with cocaine, you'd expect their blasphemy to jar awkwardly with sitting politely on church pews.
Admittedly the tour concept isn't the greatest idea, but it's something that they by and large pull off. That the aforementioned 'Gemini' and 'Crushed Bones' are unfortunately left out of the setlist, alongside anything else from career highlight Elephant Eyelash, will no doubt have disappointed a lot of the Why? faithful present this evening, and their smutty overtones, alongside also-missed Alopecia highlight 'Good Friday' weren't given a no-doubt interesting airing and antithesis to the religious iconography of the setting. Especially as here, unlike other church venues, they are more lax with alcohol in the space. Other highlights from Alopecia and Eskimo Snow were played, however, that should have appeased most fans, on a tour that was well advertised as being for showcasing new material.
The new material (the bulk of the gig), gave this reviewer a dilemma. I'd never judge an album based on a solitary listen, so it's difficult to be too harsh on the songs, but although none of them were bad, none left a particularly memorable first impression - which is regrettably the primary yardstick for tonight's entertainment. The songs were varied in tone and composition, and it never got boring, but upon leaving the venue none of any songs had struck a chord with me, to the extent that I’m struggling to say anything of note about them now. And you can only judge a gig based on the then and there.
Of course, it would be ridiculously naïve to write off their next LP based on the evening, as it may prove to be just as much of a grower as the last record, but at the same time I can't help but feel that had I heard 'Gemini', 'Crushed Bones', 'Yo Yo Bye Bye', or 'The Hollows' (which, incidentally, is tonight's highlight) for the first time in a live setting, they would have left more of an impression than any of tonight's London débuts.
There are a lot of positives to draw from the night though – Yoni Wolf is one of the most charming and entertaining frontmen around, from his repartee with the audience to Bacharach-esque piano leans. It's a joy to see any band in the Union Chapel, and after a shakey start the acoustics and setup of the band are actually totally perfect and fit all songs, new and old, down to a tee. It's just a shame the songs themselves weren't always quite there.